ent.

A few years ago, fashion demanded that all visiting-cards expressing or
acknowledging social civilities should be left in person; the
alternative in emergencies being to send them by the hand of a private
messenger, never through the post-office. There was good excuse for
this fashion in our grandmother's day, when the post was a slow coach,
or a storm-stayed postillion; but the admirable system of our postal
service to-day leaves no excuse for the prejudice in favor of the
private messenger; and it is not surprising that fashion has yielded to
common sense in allowing that many of these cards of courtesy may, with
perfect propriety, be sent by post.

The following instances illustrate the present correct usage in regard
to these three ways of leaving cards.

CASES IN WHICH PERSONAL CARD-LEAVING IS REQUIRED

After a _first hospitality_, whether accepted or not.

Calls of condolence.

After-dinner calls by cards.

_Alternative_.--In such cases, when _personal_ card-leaving is
_impossible_, the card is sent by a private messenger, and an
explanation, or apology, is sent by _note_.

Cards of condolence may be sent by _post_ by friends at a distance; but
not by persons residing in the near vicinity.

CARDS BY MESSENGER, OR BY POST

In all cases where personal card-leaving is not imperative, cards may
be sent either by messenger or by post.

As the former is still regarded by many persons--especially elderly
people--as the only strictly polite medium of transfer, it is
considerate to send cards, invitations, etc., to such people by the
good old-fashioned messenger, rather than to shock unnecessarily a
crystallized sense of propriety by ruthless innovations. But in
general it is more convenient and quite as neat and reliable to send by
post; and the fashion of so doing is now fully adopted by the younger
generation, and no longer subject to criticism.

In stating what _may_ be done, in the way of escaping personal tasks,
we are merely marking the bounds of propriety in one direction. On the
other hand, in most cases, those who choose may make personal calls
instead of those several formal card-leavings. When good form allows
alternatives, each one must judge for himself which form of expression
is most appropriate in any given case. Frank cordiality, amounting to
informality, may be in the best taste in some oases; whereas, in other
instances, only the most conventional and reserved expression of